HYDERABAD: Dressed in green fatigues and outfits, 70 students congregated on a Sunday morning to unleash their creativity. Moulding a mass of clay into Ganesha idols of various shapes and sizes, student members of the AP National Green Corps had a field day getting their hands dirty. The workshop organised by the APNGC, aims at celebrating an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi.“When I started the programme 12 years ago, with a bag of clay at one school, people doubted my sanity. Now the idea of creating idols out of environment-friendly materials like straw and clay has found acceptance and we are supported even by the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and Bhagyanagar Ganesha Utsav Samiti,” said WG Prasanna Kumar, director of APNGC. The organisation supplies free clay to schools across the city and various districts of Andhra Pradesh to encourage the practice of creating one’s own idol.Proudly displaying their handiwork, students from various districts queued up to arrange and photograph their creation. “We are here to participate in the Independence Day parade as the NGC contingent and it was fun learning the art,” said Monica T, a student of KV-1, Uppal. Each student will meet the collector of their respective district and display a five-feet idol, in order to drive home the point. The craze for large and colorful idols and leaching of harmful colors used in constructing idols polluting water bodies is debated every year. Prasanna Kumar says, “Upto 25-feet high idols can be created using straw and clay. There is economic benefit in switching over to clay idols but someone has to train artisans. As for colors, there are natural alternatives such as turmeric, kumkum, lime and sandalwood. We are targeting the population which celebrate the festival in their homes or society complexes.”Between August 20 and 30, APNGC will supply close to 800 bags of clay to seven schools in the city where other schools can also pick up. A volunteer of the organisation will also be present to demonstrate the art of shaping idols out of clay. Schools interested in making clay idols may contact at 040-23221159 or 9885311134 for more information.
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